I did it!

[Barbelier]

Completed my JOGLE on Sunday and got home yesterday:

The facts:
1,118 miles
16 days cycling
Daily average - 70 miles
Longest day - 90 miles
Biggest daily ascent total - 6,300 ft
Solo, unsupported, staying in B&Bs
One overweight 53 yr old who until this year hadn't cycled for 20+ yrs
Weight loss since start of training 21lbs
Bike: Revolution Country Explorer, 44-32-22 shimano deore chainset, Marathan Plus tyres & Schwalbe inners


Best bits:
- finishing
- the amazing scenery
- the people I met along the way and friendly, helpful B&B owners
- the bike (not a single puncture, mechanical problem or even a rattle or squeak. Didn't even have to put any air in the tryes!)
- sitting in the sunshine eating a clotted cream ice cream overlooking St Michael's Mount, with only 15 miles to go
- the look at the face of the woman in Penzance who asked where I had cycled from when I said John O Groats (priceless)

Worst bits:
- the hills
- my naive plan to go via the quiet scenic route, i.e. the long, hilly route
- gales & rain in Scotland & the north
- the train service

Not the fastest LEJOG/JOGLE, a lot harder than I expected, but feeling pretty proud of myself.

 

[snorri]

Well done young man.

 

[ChrisKH]

Excellent! Well done.

 

[Ball]

Chapeau!! Incredible achievement well done.

 

[ColinJ]

A very good effort!

If I ever was to tackle a LEJOG/JOGLE I'd do the same as you and take a scenic route. In fact, I might be even more extreme and deliberately extend it to take in other 'unnecessary' parts of the country such as Wales and some Scottish islands. 70-90 miles a day is more tempting to me than a 100+ miles-a-day dash though I can understand why some people enjoy the challenge of doing the trip as fast as they can.

 

[RedBike]

Fantastic. - Well done. !

 

[mr Mag00]

well done!

 

[S_t_e_v_e]

Fantastic achievement! Well done.

 

[jarushby]

Well done Gavin, fantastic achievement!!!!!

 

[summerdays]

Well done - I imagine your sense of achievement is flying high at the moment. (Have you started thinking about the next adventure?)

 

[Dilbert]

Well Done 

 

[yello]

Chapeau sir. There's nothing like the sense of achievement that one gets from something like this. From that point when you KNOW you've cracked it, there's a big silly smile on the face and a chest-sized feeling of pride pushing at the rubs!

Have a beer and well earned bath!

 

[Dayvo]

Good on ya! That's a great achievement!

You've every good reason to be pleased and proud of yourself!

Sounds like you had a great time.

Now the major tours will start!

 

[Barbelier]

Thanks guys!

(Have you started thinking about the next adventure?)

Not sure about another big challenge - I need to get over this one first!

But I definitely want to take my 9 year old son cycling much more and have already promised him a week long cycling holiday next year.

 

[zacklaws]

- the bike (not a single puncture, mechanical problem or even a rattle or squeak. Didn't even have to put any air in the tryes!)

If you don't put air in your tyre's, you don't get punctures.

Well done.